A short history
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was created by CompuServe in 1987; the 1989 revision (GIF89a) added animation and transparency, the features that made it iconic. Its LZW compression was later revealed to be patented, which sparked the creation of PNG — but the patent expired in 2004, and GIF endured anyway as the internet’s shorthand for a looping clip.
How it works
GIF stores an indexed palette of at most 256 colours, which is why photographs look banded and posterised as GIFs. It offers only 1-bit transparency (a pixel is either fully visible or fully invisible — no soft edges) and compresses losslessly with LZW. For animation it simply stacks multiple frames with timing information.
When & how to use it
Honestly, GIF is outclassed on every technical metric by WebP, AVIF and short MP4/video. Use it only where universal recognition matters — reactions and memes, simple email animations, or legacy systems that accept nothing else. For quality or file size, a modern format will always win.
- Created by CompuServe in 1987; animation added in GIF89a (1989).
- Limited to a 256-colour indexed palette.
- Only on/off (1-bit) transparency — no soft edges.
- Its patented LZW compression directly inspired the creation of PNG.